Ultimatum
by Mindy35
Summary: CASKETT. When Beckett flirts with someone else, Castle cracks under the pressure.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Ultimatum

Author: mindy35

Rating: T, adult themes.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made.

Spoilers: thru to "Rise".

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, minor Beckett/Other

Summary: Beckett flirts with someone else and Castle breaks under the pressure.

(A/N: This is an older idea of mine, inspired by "Rise" and by re-re-re-watching season three and being all WTFKB? over the Josh thing and wondering what might happen if Kate tried to pull anything like that now. I am not sure it is entirely in line with where they have taken her character this season but I hope it still works. Let me know what you think.)

I.

The second he got her alone, Castle slammed the interrogation room door behind them. "I can't do this. I thought I could. I thought I was up for anything, I thought I could stick it out but I was wrong."

"Oka-ay…" Beckett took a beat after being dragged from her investigation, eying him with both incredulity and uncertainty. "You wanna give me some clue as to what we're talking about here?"

"I mean, I hung in there for Josh," he went on, beginning to pace the stuffy little room. "It nearly killed me watching you walk off into the sunset with the tall, dark and handsome doctor – _repeatedly_, I might add. But I did it." He drew in some air then puffed it out, mumbling under his breath, "Imagining you with him and him with you was a particular brand of torture I never wish to experience again. But no way was I gonna bail after what happened with Demming, what it took to get you back."

"Get me back?" she muttered, frowning.

Ignoring her objection, Castle just turned on his heel, retracing his steps and casting her a cursory glance. "Then there was Will, of course. The hunky ex-boyfriend looking for a second shot. Not that I can blame him for that. I'd like a second shot. I'd like a _first_ shot. But this guy—" he stopped abruptly, flinging an arm in the direction of the bullpen, "_this guy_, Kate?"

Beckett ducked her head to hide a smile, relieved to know the subject of her interrogation. "You just don't like him because he was flirting with me."

"No. I don't blame him for flirting with you," Castle replied swiftly, squaring up to her over the table at which they normally presented such a united front. "Not when you've been giving him the oh-so-subtle green-light signal implicitly understood by any straight man with a pulse."

She cocked her head at him, brows knit. "What's your problem then?"

"_My problem,_" he said, stabbing an irate finger on the tabletop, "is that I blame _you_ for flirting back. And don't even try to tell me that you weren't."

Beckett stalled momentarily, weighing up whether to challenge or surrender. Then she gave a light laugh, spreading her arms at her sides. "Okay, fine. I won't. But it was just flirting, Castle, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just…"

"Just what?"

She shrugged, the gesture sheepish. "Messing with you, I guess."

He blinked at her in incomprehension. "Messing with me?"

"Little bit, yeah." Her cheeks grew pink as she took in his shock, his apparent hurt. Her eyes dropped to the floor, her voice shaking slightly as she turned to go. "But if it upsets you—"

"Is this some sort of game to you?" he interrupted, halting her with his tone. "Do you think this is a game we're playing here? Because this is so not a game. Not to me."

She let out a sigh, unable to properly meet his gaze. "No. I know."

"Apparently you don't."

"Castle—"

"Because if this was a game," he went on without heeding her, "I wouldn't be risking my life on a daily basis – _against my daughter's wishes_ by the way – just so I could spend every waking moment at your side." He started to move around the table towards her, eyes fixed on her face. "If this was a game, I wouldn't have agents and publishers beating my door down for pages I haven't written because _all I can think about_ is you. If this was a game, I'd be able to _look_ at another woman and not see your eyes, your face, your…" he gestured up and down the length of her with a frustrated grimace, "_everything_."

Beckett put out a hand to calm him but stopped shy of touching him. "Okay. I think you've made your point. Not a game. I will quit it with whathisface." She strode to the door, deliberately putting some distance between them. "Can we get back to work now please?"

"This is not about whathisface," Castle stated, for once not following her lead. He refused to trail her to the door as she expected, refused to let the conversation drop as she clearly wanted him to. His feet remained planted in place, eyes boring into her back.

"Then what's got you so riled up?" She quirked an eyebrow at him, attempting to dispel some of the tension in the air. "Somebody get out of the wrong side of someone else's bed this morning?"

Castle was silent, jaw twitching. "I'm not kidding here, Kate."

She nodded once, eyes falling away from his. "I can see that."

"And you know full well that I am not in the least interested in anybody else's bed, nor have I been in quite some time."

"I…" She shuffled on the spot, jutting out her chin. "I don't know that I know that."

He studied her a moment with pained, perplexed eyes. "God, you can be the most frustrating woman alive sometimes, you know that? What do I have to do to get through to you?" He spread his arms out wide, giving a sad, exasperated laugh. "Tell me. Please. And I'll do it. Whatever it is. Whatever it takes. I will do it! Because I've tried everything I can think of."

Beckett moved away, head wagging at the floor. "Castle, I don't know what you're talking about. You're not making any sense to me."

"I'm not making sense?" he spluttered, the heat rising in his face. "You're a Detective, one of New York's finest! It's just not possible for you _not to get_ what's going on here."

She faced him, arms folded, barely meeting his eyes. "Well, I don't. So why don't you enlighten me?"

He gave another tortured laugh, ran a palm over his face, kneading his eye sockets with his fingertips. And when his eyes opened again and met hers, the words seemed to simply erupt out of him like they were both the most obvious statement of truth and his biggest, most profound secret. "I am in love with you!"

Beckett sucked in a breath, her eyes closing over. "Don't. Castle. Please."

His voice softened as he went on, as he took a few steps towards her. "Whether you remember me saying the words or not, I know you know. You are a smart woman and you had my number from the moment we met. You _can't not_ know. I'm just not that subtle." He waved a hand, searching his mind for the proof she'd trained him to provide. "I've…dedicated two books to you, I don't do that for just anyone, you know. I, I gave up James Bond for you. Do you have _any idea_ how huge that was for me? Not to mention paying thousands of dollars just for a shot at the man who killed your mom."

At that she seemed to bristle, her spine stiffening and eyes flashing. "So what, I _owe_ you? Is that what you're saying?"

"This is not about obligation. It's about honesty." He retreated to the table with a sigh, hitching one thigh on a corner, his shoulders slumping. "I am being honest with you here. I thought I could wait forever. Turns out…I can't. This is my limit."

Beckett was silent a moment, studying him. Then her head tilted to one side. "You're giving me an ultimatum?" she murmured finally, though it was more statement than question.

"I'm asking," he replied, attempting to keep his voice even, "for the same honesty from you. I'm asking for a straight answer."

"On what exactly?"

"You really need me to spell it out?"

Again, she was silent. Then she moved a little closer. "Look, Castle, we…can't do this here." She looked down at her hands, lifted one to tuck some hair behind her ear before telling him quietly, carefully, "We can talk. If you want, after the case is over. But not here, not now. Okay? I need…time. To think about this." She gave a small nod and turned to the door.

Castle caught her arm, preventing her escape. "How long…do you expect me to wait?"

Beckett glanced down at his fingers curled loosely about her arm, before her gaze climbed slowly up to his. "What do you mean?"

"I mean – realistically," he murmured, looking up at her from where he sat, "how long do you expect me to wait for you? Have you actually thought about that? Is there a timeframe in mind here at all? Or do you just expect me to stay on ice until you give the green light?"

She hesitated, brow crumpled. Then she fell back, her arm slipping from his grasp as her back met the one-way glass. "I…I thought you understood, Castle. What I need to do. We…you and I talked about this."

"Yeah, we did," he nodded, his voice as low as hers and just as serious. He rose from the table, took one cautious step closer. "And I say this with absolute respect for your mom and all you've been through. But tell me this—" he paused, waiting until her eyes connected with his, "what difference is a name going to make? It's just a name."

"Not to me, it's not," she answered him resolutely. "This is not about a name, it's about justice. For myself, for my dad, for—"

"It won't bring her back," he interjected gently.

"You think I don't know that?" she demanded, eyes narrowing to angry slits.

"I think…" he took another deep breath and another step closer, "that the only person who can bring down that wall you spoke of is in this room. It isn't some Harvard educated shrink, however brilliant. It isn't some elusive criminal mastermind who for all we know may remain at large for the rest of our lives. And it isn't me. Though God knows, I've given it my best shot. Knowing the identity of that man, whatever he has done to your family, is not going to make that inner wall magically dissipate. I have been waiting, _hoping_ for the day that you realize that that…is entirely up to you." He lent closer, voice dropping to an urgent whisper and eyes sparkling with a desperate hope. "_You _can do anything you put your mind to, Kate, I have absolute faith in that fact. And I am here, ready and willing to help you with any heavy lifting. If you'll let me. Will you? Are you going to let me do that?"

Her eyes remained locked with his for a long moment, exposing all the emotion she generally hid so well. "I'm so nearly ready, Castle," she whispered eventually, "I'm so close."

He lowered his face to hers, letting his body invade her space, letting the physical pull that had always existed between them do its part in swaying her. "How close? How close are you, Kate?"

Her lips parted but nothing emerged. Her gaze dropped to his mouth, her breath coming faster and shallower with his proximity. Her body tilted forward, teetering on the edge as though drawn to his by pure gravitational force.

"Speak to me…" he entreated, eyes fixed on her mouth. "Open your mouth and tell me this is going to happen."

"And by _this_," she puffed, her chest rising and falling heavily, "you mean…"

"Us," he answered without a shred of doubt or hesitation in his tone. "You and me. And this thing that's always been there. Always and always." He paused, eyes scanning her face one last time. "Tell me you feel it too, tell me the truth. Because, so help me, I am ready to walk out that door if you don't."

She shook her head, one hand finding his chest, grasping his jacket. "I don't want that."

He leant closer, his face etched with angst and mere millimeters from hers. "Then give me a reason to stay. Speak, Kate, _speak_. What's it gonna be? Yes…or no?"

Her mouth worked wordlessly for a moment, opening and closing without any real answer making it to the surface. All that came out was a wavering: "Castle…"

He waited an extra moment, needing some commitment, craving some miniscule confirmation from her. But when her eyes drifted away from his, he released his held breath. Watching her face lower and her mouth close and her jaw set, Castle drew back, finally admitting defeat. He nodded once to himself then walked slowly to the door.

"You know…we all have a wall inside of us," he murmured after a moment, standing on the threshold, one hand on the doorknob. "I let mine down for you," he told her before giving a rueful little smile, "Or maybe you just karate-kicked it down and left me no choice." His smile disappeared, his spine straightened. "Well—" he gave a nod of finality, "Detective. Good luck with the case. If you change your mind…you know where you can find me."

Then Kate Beckett watched as Rick Castle left.

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Ultimatum

Author: mindy35

Rating: T, adult themes.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made.

Spoilers: thru to "Rise".

Pairing: Castle/Beckett, minor Beckett/Other

Summary: Beckett flirts with someone else and Castle breaks under the pressure.

(A/N: Sorry in advance to any angst fans. I'm still in my Caskett honeymoon period so I just couldn't torture them much more...)

II.

His plan was simple. His plan was to drink.

The apartment felt emptier than usual to him, the excess of space only serving to exemplify his desolate state. Martha and Alexis were out spending his money, their favorite in tandem sport. So without them to distract him or a case to solve or a partner to shadow, Castle intended to spend the evening indulging in very fine booze and some intense self-pity. On the rare occasion that he had the place to himself, he generally took the opportunity to get some solid writing done. But getting into the complicated psyche of Nikki Heat was the last thing he was interested in doing on this particular night. Not when he'd just walked out on her real life counterpart after years of trying to fathom and unravel her every word, thought and move.

Walking away from Kate Beckett was possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. It wasn't in his nature to quit. Particularly not when the possibility of all he'd desired for so long could be just around the next corner. Staying would have been so much easier. Just as choosing to trail her had initially been such an easy, instinctive decision; a decision he'd repeated with barely a second thought practically every day for the past four years. Those days were over now though. They both knew it, the second that door had swung shut between them. He'd crossed the line, said things he couldn't take back and wasn't sure he even wished to. He'd said them because he couldn't help but say them, because he couldn't breathe anymore under the weight of all that silence and couldn't comprehend how she managed to.

But even if they tried, they could never return to what they were. So Castle intended to drink. And drink copiously. Because nothing said self-pity quite like single-handedly finishing the most expensive bottle of Cabernet he could lay his hands on while mooning over crime scene photographs he wasn't supposed to possess. What's more, the wine was just the appetizer. He fully intended to move onto the hard stuff as the night wore on. He was halfway through his first bottle and falling deeper into his self-pity ritual by the second, when the doorbell buzzed. Once, loud but short. He froze, wineglass halfway to his lips. He'd know that proficient buzz anywhere. He'd been half hoping for it since he'd walked out on Kate Beckett seven and a half hours earlier – and half trying desperately not to hope.

Even knowing her as well as he did, it was virtually impossible to guess what he was going to meet when he opened the door, what her reaction to his ultimatum might be. They were in uncharted territory now, which made his gut churn as he made his way to the door. It seemed that Beckett didn't know what her own reaction was either, because when he opened the door to her, she was radiating uncertainty from every pore. There was always some level of uncertainty to her manner when she showed up at his door unannounced. But this time, it was magnified. She stood with her hands knit in front of her, just looking at him for several long moments before speaking.

"I was thinking the whole way over here about what I was going to say when you opened that door. I thought by the time I got here, I'd have some idea."

Castle nodded a few times, waiting for more. "And?"

Beckett shook her head, then asked with a tentative smile, "Any suggestions from the best-selling author?"

He gave a tight little smile in return. "I think I've said enough, don't you?" He paused, voice lowering to add, "Your turn now."

"Words are your forte, Castle, not mine." She looked down at her feet, worrying her lower lip between her teeth for a moment before meeting his gaze again. "What would Nikki Heat say in a situation like this?"

He drew in a breath. "To be honest, I'm not too interested in what Nikki Heat would say. I want to hear what Kate Beckett has on her mind."

"Does that mean I can come in?" she asked, head tipped to one side.

Castle glanced over his shoulder at the couch, the Cabernet, the photos he'd been illicitly perusing. "You think you're gonna come up with something between here and the couch?"

She shrugged. "Let's find out."

Stepping aside, he waved one hand to allow her entry. She stepped inside, dipping her head in thanks and making her way to the couch. He followed, one step behind as always, watching as her discerning gaze instantly registered his self-pitying set up.

"Can I…get you a glass?" he asked, nodding at the wine bottle and his almost empty glass.

"Thankyou," she murmured, shucking her coat and throwing it over the back of the couch. "I'll try to come up with some snappy dialogue before you get back."

Half-turned to the kitchen, Castle stopped and turned back, saying in a low voice, "I've had enough snappy dialogue, if you don't mind. Just the truth…would be good."

Beckett watched him go, the heat in her cheeks rising again, just as it had when he'd confronted her that afternoon at the precinct. She let out a breath and took a seat, scooting forward on the couch cushions to investigate what he'd been brooding over. They were crime scene photos, copies perhaps, or discards. Not from the current case she was working but from many different cases, going back over many different years. No doubt Castle would insist that they were research. If she asked, which she didn't intend to. She'd long ago quit wasting her breath on telling him that such things were not meant for his private perusal. She could school him on procedure and protocol until she was blue in the face but in the end, Castle would do what Castle would do. Besides which, with a single glance, she could easily guess why he'd been perusing the pictures and it had nothing whatever to do with police business. Each photo had just one thing in common. Her. Or some part of her. Her face, her figure, her hand, her hair, even her butt.

On top of his secret stash were a few with both of them, obviously from the same wintery day, the same gory scene. In the first, she was squatting down in front of him, peering at the unfortunate corpse. Castle stood directly behind her, two coffees in hand and hair falling over his forehead. In the second, the photographer had caught her rising to her feet. Juggling both coffee cups, Castle was also offering one hand for her to hold as she navigated the rocky ground. A third was mostly just blood and guts but in the far distance, there they were again, walking away from the scene, shooting each other matching smiles. She'd seen that smile of his countless times and knew exactly what it meant, exactly what it did to her insides. What she'd never seen before was the expression on her own face, the affection in her eyes, the ease in her smile, the happiness she knew he produced in her so blatantly on display. It made her feel exposed, unnerved. It also made Beckett feel like cutting the crap. Which was just what she'd come to do. Seeing that image of herself only compelled her to rise to her feet, follow him into the kitchen. And freeze.

Castle was turning from a kitchen cabinet, polishing a second wineglass with a cloth. His brow crumpled when he saw her standing in the middle of the kitchen, mouth half open but motionless, wordless. "…Beckett?"

"I can't do this," she blurted out, her hands gesturing stiffly and gaze skittering all over the place. "I mean— I don't know _how_ to do this, how to…tell you what I'm thinking, to…say what I want. I've always been bad at this stuff and it's a hundred times worse with you."

Slowly, Castle set the wineglass aside. "And why's that?"

"Because I care," she answered, the words falling from her lips without thought or censorship. "Because I want this. I want it to work, and I want it to last."

He took a step toward her. "I do too. All of those things."

Her eyes rose to his, she let out a big breath. "And because you know me, Castle, you know all the places I hide and if I try, you'll come and find me, I just know you will."

"Not if you don't want me to," he said softly, eyes glowing with unconcealed affection. "I'll do whatever you want here, you know that."

There was a pause. Before she said:

"Then kiss me."

"What?"

She moved to the sink, propped her hands on the ledge behind her, her eyes focused on something in the mid-distance. "That's what I want you to do, Castle. Make the first move. Kiss me like you have always wanted to, like I've always wanted you to. Kiss me like this is finally going to happen. And then take me into that bedroom," she nodded in its direction, the confidence in her voice faltering, "and undress me and if at any point I try to run – which I might – don't let me."

Castle stood on the spot for moment, stunned to silence. Finally, he turned to face her, cocking his head to one side. "Well. Why don't you kiss me?"

She blinked at him. "…Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he murmured, a small smile on his lips as he approached her. "If that's really what you want—"

"Yes, it's what I want," she snipped.

"Then you," his smile smugifed, "kiss me."

Beckett mirrored his cocked head, eyes narrowing at him. "Really, Rick? You wanna make this into a thing? You're gonna turn it into some kind of sex stalemate with neither of us making a freaking move? Haven't we done that long enough? And let's face it—" her hands dropped from behind her as she drew herself up to her full height, "when it comes to this type of thing, I can outlast you any day of the week."

Castle considered this a moment. "You're probably right."

She gave a confident nod. "Damn right, I'm right."

"I guess I better just do what you said," he said with a resigned sigh. "Guess I better just pucker up and kiss you."

"Guess you better," she countered, tipping her chin up. "And you better make it good too."

"And then what?" he mused, shuffling closer but making no real move to cross the boundaries they were skirting so close to. "After the kissing…what came next? Something about undressing…?"

A sly smile crept across Beckett's face. "Oh my God..."

Castle drew back at the sight of it. "What?"

"Are you…" she studied him a moment, biting back a smile. "Are you _stalling_? Is that what you're doing?"

"No!" he scoffed, head shaking emphatically. "Why on earth would I want to stall? That would be ridiculous of me to do."

"Yes, it would. Unless you were nervous." She watched his Adam's apple bob, his eyes glittering with veiled trepidation. "That's it, isn't it? You called me out and now here I am and this is finally going to happen and you're…what? Not sure it'll live up to expectations?"

Castle rubbed a hand round the nape of his neck. "'Expectations' sounds a little…presumptuous."

"Please." She smiled a dubious smile, eyebrows raised. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that you never expected this? Thought about it? Wondered about it?"

He shook his head at her. "You have no idea what a loaded question that is."

"Actually I do. Because I know you." She lifted one hand, very deliberately running it up his arm to his shoulder then down his chest until it rested right over his heart. "And you always said we'd end up here. You knew, right at the beginning. Way before I did."

"Of course I knew," he murmured, eyes shifting back and forth between the hand on his chest and her face. "I was already half in love with you when you walked away from me in that alley."

"Only half, huh?"

"Well, it didn't take long for the rest of me to follow."

"It took me a little longer."

"That would be an understatement."

"But I got there, Castle." She rose onto her toes, the hand on his chest sliding up to his neck as her mouth inched closer. "We made it here. Together. A little scratched, a lot older, but intact. Are you really going to make us wait a second longer than we need to? Like you said…" she licked her lips, met his now fixed gaze, "haven't we engaged in enough snappy dialogue?"

"Enough for a lifetime," he croaked, one hand lifting to tentatively grasp her hip.

"So…?" she breathed against his lips.

His other hand rose to claim her opposite hip before he flashed her a wolfish grin. "So I guess I'll be kissing you then. Brace yourself, Detective—" Then he zoomed in and kissed her. Hard and quick and just a little too eager.

"Wow…" she murmured when he pulled back.

He bobbed his head a few times. "Yeah…"

Her face contracted into a frown. "I'm going to be so disappointed if that's all you've got."

"You jinxed me," he spluttered, eyes wide with indignation. "With that comment about making it good. It threw me off my game."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Excuses, excuses…"

Castle loomed closer, face set with determination. "And it ain't, by the way. All I've got. Not even close."

"'Ain't?'" She arched a brow at him. "Grammar, Castle."

He lifted her suddenly, setting her on the counter and sliding his hands up her thighs. "Fuck grammar."

"Fuck grammar?" she mused, arms winding around his shoulders. "Okay, now I _know_ you're serious."

And then Castle really kissed her and kissed her good. With an open, hungry, skilful mouth that answered her every moan, his hands clasping at her clothes and roving her body with the touch of man who'd waited far too long for what he desired. She met his passion ounce for ounce, every bit as greedy for him as he was for her, hands barely tasting before moving on to their next delicious discovery. For endless minutes, they explored each other's mouths, giving free reign to their desire to touch, stroke, investigate and savor. She was squirming on the counter, her eyes closed and head thrown back as he kissed his way down her body, hands tracing her shape as he did, blazing a trail of heat wherever they roamed. They slipped inside the back of her top, finding her bare skin as his mouth plunged lower and lower, kissing right down to the seam of her jeans.

"Bedroom!" she gasped suddenly, clawing at his hair. "Bedroom, Castle. Now."

He drew back, rising from her lap to cup her face with one hand. He kissed her once, letting his lips drag against hers. "I'm not even gonna ask if you're sure about this," he panted and before she could formulate a reply, he'd scooped her off the counter and was carrying her towards his bedroom.

Beckett gave a little shriek of surprise and held on tight with all four limbs. "I'll get sure," she whispered in his ear, giving it a sharp little nip while she was in the vicinity. "Really, really sure..."

He pulled back enough to look at her. "Between here and the bedroom?"

She smiled at him, kissed the corner of his mouth. "Didn't you just tell me this afternoon I could do anything I put my mind to?"

He chuckled and was leaning in to re-capture her lips when they were interrupted. They were just passing the front door when it opened, Alexis and Martha entering in mid-conversation. The two halted abruptly when they saw their interlocked bodies, mouths instantly falling silent and shopping bags dangling from each of their wrists. Beckett slapped Castle's shoulder a few times and he dropped her to her feet. Each made an effort to straighten their clothing but neither were able to come up with a single word of explanation. They simply stood, ruffled and breathless, eyes equally wide and cheeks equally flushed. It was Martha who salvaged the situation, grabbing Alexis' hand and turning her right back around again:

"Come on, kiddo, we forgot something."

"We did…?" Alexis asked, blue eyes blinking.

"We did," Martha nodded, making sure her entire audience could hear her add, "And it's going to take us quite a while to remember what it was."

"Right…" Alexis fumbled as she was hustled back down the corridor. "Actually, I think we might have forgotten a whole bunch of stuff…"

Castle turned to Beckett as the door clicked shut behind his mother and daughter, leaving them stranded in awkward silence. "Okay. Now…I know," he said, holding up both palms, "that that was a major mood-breaker. But I think we can come back from it."

Beckett smiled at him. "Me too."

Then she turned on her heel and stalked to his room, lifting her top at the hem as she did. She disappeared into the darkened bedroom just as the top came off, leaving Castle peering after her with wide eyes. He speed-walked to the door, making it to the threshold in time to see her move to the other side of his bed and shrink several inches as she kicked off her heels. She faced him across the bed, watching his face as she slowly undid the zip on her jeans and pushed them down over her hips. She sat to pull them the rest of the way off then swivelled on the bed to face him, reclining on her side, one arm propped under her head.

Castle gulped, his whole face slack and eyes gooey with desire. He twirled a finger at the two strips of clothing still covering her. "Are they…not coming off?"

She glanced down at her plain black bra and matching panties. "I thought I'd leave a little something for you to remove."

"How thoughtful…" he murmured, gaze skating over her without really knowing where to focus.

Beckett smiled up at him from the bed, one long arm draped over her hip. "So you comin', Castle, or what? Is this gonna happen? Yes or no? Speak to me."

His head dropped to one side, "Uh. Just need to take a mental picture of…" – then it snapped upright again, "okay, I'm good. Let's do this." He started towards her, practically tripping out of his shoes while simultaneously ripping his shirt off over his head. And when he joined her on the bed, his mouth immediately found hers as eager hands began manoeuvring her out of those last little strips of black fabric.

_TBC..._


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Ultimatum

Author: mindy35

Rating: T, sexual situations.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made.

Spoilers: thru to "Rise".

Pairing: Castle/Beckett

Summary: Please see chapter 1.

A/N: Just a short chapter to finish off. Thank you to all who read and commented. :)

III.

Castle woke with his nose deeply entrenched in Beckett hair, an arm slung round her waist and her skin pressed against his from head to foot. It was still not a sensation he was used to, after a week of sharing a bed with her. What Castle was getting very used to though was such moments being interrupted by the high-pitched trill of his lover's ever-present cellphone. It had become his one nemesis in life, his sworn enemy. It seemed to exist just to intercede in their growing intimacy. Or at least, the thing seemed to have a demonic little sixth sense about when he had Kate Beckett naked. Or was in the process of getting her naked. Or was thinking about getting her naked. Which, he had to admit, was a lot of the time of late. His biggest hurdle in doing so, now that he'd scaled that wall of hers, was her wretched little phone.

Castle rolled away from the sleeping woman in his arms, cracking his eyes open and throwing an arm in the direction of the bedside table where Beckett's phone was ringing and vibrating away so insistently. He slapped a hand at it in a bid to either silence the thing or annihilate it entirely. He only succeeded in sending it flying into a pile of clothes on the floor, which at least muted it some. Castle gave a sleepy grunt and gave up. There was no way in the world he was getting out of Kate Beckett's bed, not while she was still in it. So he rolled back towards her warm body, hoping that the minor commotion hadn't disturbed her. But as he curled himself around her again, her head lifted from the pillow, bleary eyes peering over her shoulder at him.

"Did you just…_fling_ my phone?" she muttered, her voice displaying the aftereffects of their late night and deep, satisfied sleep.

Castle picked his head up off the pillow, blinking sleepily. "Hm? What…? What phone?"

"My phone," she answered, not at all convinced by his innocent act. "That phone you hear ringing."

"Oh, that phone," he mumbled, giving a dismissive shrug before nuzzling his nose back into her tousled hair. "I didn't hear it. I was asleep."

"No, you weren't." Beckett rolled over, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I was until it woke me," he replied, pouting up at her. "I hate your phone."

She snorted, glancing round the room for it. "Don't be a child, give it to me."

Castle scooched closer, planting a string of kisses up her shoulder. "Just let it ring, stay in bed a little while longer. Snuggle with me."

Beckett turned her head towards him, treating him to a mild glare. "Come on, Castle. Where'd you fling it?"

"But we never get to just lie here and relax," he whined, one hand sliding up her body, attempting to coax her back into their embrace.

"You don't want to relax," she replied, running a hand through her hair and starting to look more awake. "You want to have sex."

"Well, sex is very relaxing."

"You don't say?"

"It's true, I read it somewhere." Curling a hand around her neck, he drew her down to him for a kiss. "It's a great de-stresser and you looked very stressed right now..."

She allowed the kiss for a moment before yanking her lips free. "Can't, Castle. I need to answer that. Give it here."

"No," he said, pecking at her lips. "I refuse."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes then lunged over his big body, over his side of the bed towards the continuing jingle of the phone.

Castle caught her, tackling her with his full body and hauling her back across the sheets. "Oh, no. No, you don't, not this morning."

She twisted in his grasp, landing on her back and glaring up at him. "Quit fooling around, Castle, that might be a job."

"Of course it's a job," he replied with a huff. "The only calls you get are about a body dropping."

"That's not true," she frowned, her eyes cutting to one side before she added, "You call me."

"Well, I'm right here so I'm pretty sure it's not me on the other end of that very persistent ringtone." He paused, his whole face perking up as the phone abruptly silenced. "And now it's stopped so…problem solved."

Beckett let out a breath, her body relaxing beneath him. "You know, if we are going to do this—"

"If?" he interjected, lifting a brow at her. "We are doing this."

"Well then, you are going to have to get used to my phone ringing at all hours and me having to just leave whenever it does." She ran a palm down his shoulder then back up to his neck, her thumb dipping into the little dint in his chin. "This is my job, Castle."

"I know," he grumbled, his grip on her loosening, "but we haven't had one morning to ourselves since we…you know."

"Sealed the deal?" she suggested with a small smile.

"And you did say," he added, a little lilt to his tone, a little twinkle in his eye, "that I should stop you from running away from me if you tried."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Then you should have been more specific."

A grin curving his lips, Castle leant down, lowering his mouth to hers and initiating a slow, deep, leisurely kiss. One that she returned, her mouth opening to him as her hands lifted to his hair and dug deep. She surged forward, urging him onto his back and straddling his body as their kiss continued. She was just beginning to undulate against him, he was just beginning to fall into that blissful state she inspired in him, things were really beginning to heat up when Beckett's phone began to ring again. Castle gave an aggravated growl, his hands dropping to the mattress in defeat. Beckett pounced for the phone, diving over the far side of the bed to retrieve it.

"Tell them to call Esposito," he sighed, watching her cross her legs and pull the sheet up to her chest.

She shot him a look, phone pressed to her chest. "No. Why?"

"Because he's the only one of us who won't be having sex," he rushed to say before she pressed the screen to answer.

She thumbed the screen, hissing a sharp, "Castle!" then answered the call with her usual, clipped: "Beckett."

"Tell them," he murmured, budging closer to her on the bed. "Esposito is all alone, he won't mind. In fact, he'll probably appreciate the company. He and Lanie can bicker over the body. Just like how we used to before we found better ways to spend our mornings. It's _great foreplay_, Beckett."

"Shhh—!" She clamped a hand over his mouth and turned away, saying into the phone, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Dodging her hand, Castle swept some hair away from her ear, kissing her neck and whispering against her skin, "If you don't pass it on to Esposito…I won't do that thing you like ever, _ever _again."

Beckett turned her head towards him, hand now covering the phone. "Which—?"

"You know the one I mean," he smirked, the fingertips of one hand drifting up and down her arm, making her skin goosebump.

She raised a brow at him. "Another ultimatum, Castle? Really?"

He gave a smug shrug. "Worked well for me the first time."

Her eyes narrowed, her head shook. "You know, it's gonna be a really long life together if you keep pulling that one out of the bag."

"Also if we never get to have morning sex," he muttered, nodding at her phone. "Tell them."

Beckett put the phone back to her ear, her voice rising to its normal level. "Yeah, no, I'm here." She sent him a sideways look before adding, "Okay, give me the address."

"Right!" Castle pulled away, casting his eyes around the bed. "Situation obviously calls for desperate measures…" Spotting her shirt from the previous day tangled in the sheets at the bottom of the bed, he grabbed it and instantly began tying one sleeve to her wrist.

"What're you doin'?" she whispered, phone still at her ear.

"Stopping you from running away," he answered, tugging on the shirt and making her fall back on the bed. "A man's gotta do and all that."

Beckett landed with a guttural gasp then looked up as he wove the shirt between the spokes of her bedhead. "Uh, dispatch…I…I appear to be a little tied up right at the moment. Maybe…maybe you could give Detective Esposito a call?"

Castle grinned down at her. "Now was that so difficult?"

"Thanks a lot," she muttered into the phone, her tone dry and eyes glaring up at him.

As soon as she finished the call, Castle stole the phone and flung it away. "You will not regret this, I promise."

She huffed as she watched it land on his boxers. "Could you not fling my phone, Castle?"

"I can buy you a new one," he told her, busy restraining her other hand. "One that has the decency not to interrupt us when we're in engaged in vitally important matters. There's gotta be an ap out there for that..."

"And by 'vitally important matters' you, of course, mean sex."

"Sex is very important to me. You should know this if we are going to spend the rest of our lives together."

"I'm getting that impression, yeah…" Beckett glanced up at her hands, lifting them in their binds. "Castle, you know I can get out of this, right? Like, easily."

"But the question is," he moved over her, propping himself on his hands, "…do you want to?"

Beckett bit her lip and said nothing.

He smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "That's what I thought."

"Well, Mr Castle…" She drew in a breath then released it, gazing up at him from beneath her lashes. "I am all yours until that phone rings again. So now that you have me here, what do you plan to do with me?"

"Everything I can possibly imagine," Castle murmured against her lips, pulling back to add, "Including something with ice cubes you're gonna _love._"

Beckett chuckled and braced herself for the ride of a lifetime.

_END._


End file.
